For a good year, spaces, scabs, forgiveness & healing

It’s the “Jewish” (actually the Judaic) “holiday season” (as expressed in a fair translation of the Israeli-Hebrew vernacular), that time of year when (as most Christians wish each other a “Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year”), most Jews wish each other “A good year, & (though many don’t add this) Well over the fast”, referring to the solemn 24-hour fast practiced by observant Judaists on the Day of Atonement that comes 10 days later. Secular as well as religious Jews exchange these good wishes, it’s like a custom, a tradition, & it’s my strong impression (I don’t know the statistics & don’t know if anyone’s done or could do any on this) that there are many more secular than religious Jews in the world today, & I imagine it’s the same among Christians, & perhaps less, though you can never be sure, among Muslims. & I, another non-religious Jew, do it too.
In this post I include several items, all, somewhat poetic in one way or another, that all also somehow express what I feel is the more universalistic aspect of the Jewish tradition & culture: a piece of my own, & translations of several Hebrew wellwishings or “blessings” I found this week on Facebook & felt moved to translate & to post there as well. I begin with a piece I posted on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the New Year 5775:

Next, my translation of a poem by Pinhas Sadeh I found in a post on Facebook by Dr Dror Green, who wrote that he’d sent his subscribers this short poem about poetry & perhaps about life or the way we perceive our life. This poem, he says, is a marvelous way to open a new year and to give our attention to the intervals between things, to breath & to rest.
Several decades ago I translated into English Sadeh’s important novel Life as a Parable (London: Anthony Blond, 1966), a truly groundbreaking & controversial work in the literary world in Israel at its time. I was close to him on certain occasions in his life, & also once published a long interview with him in which he was very open with me, I am happy to share this brief new translation of his poem “A Saying” & to add my good wishes to all in the same spirit expressed by Dr Dror Green.

Pinhas Sadeh

A Saying

I say:

A poem is not words

A poem is the space

That’s between the words

Now, my translation of a post in Hebrew by Asma Aghbaria-Zahalka, leader of the Jewish-Arab Da’am Workers’ Party:

And lastly a translation I posted, introducing it with a quote from it: “When we forgive we liberate a great energetic charge (&/or burden?) & allow it to move on from us…”, & adding: Thanks, Michal Shaul for sharing this indeed beautiful message/blessing. I had to translate it, it so moves me & also connects with the healing process I’m going thru right now. & although I can see & feel how it also draws upon one of the Judaic practices related to Yom Kippur, & perhaps on some of the spirit behind it, I feel it also connects with & stems from other & more universal sources, & more importantly, that it is relevant & applicable to every single moment of our lives. So thanks, too, to its original poster and author, Ori Cohen.
(& I’d like too to add that I feel that such an approach could & perhaps should be brought also to the so-called “political” sphere, & to express the wish that forgiveness, esteem, compassion & love can be brought to healing the pains & the hardships resulting from conflicts all over the world, & particularly from all that the continuing occupation & wars have brought to so many inhabitants of & exiles from the so-sorely wounded country of Palestine/Israeland).

Stories out of the box… “We all seek to live in physical, emotional & spiritual wellbeing.
Many of us in our childhood didn’t receive love, a protected place, a warm & healthy home.
Now that we’ve survived, we can look into the hearts of our mothers & fathers & feel the pain that they bore & that some of them still bear in their hearts. Much pain & much hardship.
Generations upon generations raised children while commanding them, scolding them & ranting at them, & some of them also abused them physically & verbally.
Now that we’ve survived, we can feel compassion & inclusion.
Each mother brought us into life with deep devotion.
Some mothers did so in loneliness & confusion, in need of companionship & warmth that were not present.
They experienced pregnancy & childbirth that entailed much pain.
They wanted to give us all that they could.
In the nights, alone, they had feelings of guilt & worry & they were unable to create a different reality.
Now we are the ones who can bring healing to their pain & their worries.
Now we are the ones who can bring healing with forgiveness.
To see our parents as people who toiled for our sakes, who did things for us, & to see their pains & the hardships they’re subject to.
Forgiveness & expression of esteem are great healings. When we’re on a path of healing we do it for others too. We share our personal healing with those close & dear to us & with whoever we meet on our way.
Healing begins in us & in our home.
Healing begins in us & in our family.
Healing of this kind heals a lineage of pain that has passed down from generation to generation.
When we forgive we liberate a great energetic charge (&/or burden?) and allow it to move on from us.
A moment before Yom Kippur is the most blessed time to,look into the eyes of those close to us & to ask their forgiveness & to thank them, to feel in our hearts the power of forgiveness and to start up a new relationship circuit that contains forgiveness & esteem; the forgiveness will turn into compassion, & the compassion into love. The esteem will turn into thanks & thanksgiving.
You, each of you & of us, bears the great healers within her/himself.
Personal healing wants to share itself with whoever brought us into the world.
I ask forgiveness from whoever has been injured by me at any time.
With blessings of love.
May this be a year of healing for all, for Mother Earth, for our relations with all creatures.
For our relations with ourselves.
With a blessing of self-love & a connection to the healer who is in each one of you.